Olde Ale
AleSmith Brewing Company

Olde AleOlde Ale
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From:
AleSmith Brewing Company
 
California, United States
Style:
Old Ale
Ranked #27
ABV:
11%
Score:
90
Ranked #9,850
Avg:
4.02 | pDev: 9.2%
Reviews:
55
Ratings:
212
Status:
Active
Rated:
Jun 04, 2023
Added:
Jul 14, 2013
Wants:
  16
Gots:
  20
Originally brewed in 2005 as the first in our annual Decadence series, AleSmith Olde Ale follows the tradition of classic British-style Old Ales. This rich, malt-forward ale showcases soft notes of currants and dried fruit along with complex dark sugars, all of which are balanced by a subtle bitterness derived from the addition of traditional English hops. AleSmith Olde Ale is ready to be enjoyed now or it can be aged upwards of twenty years to further enhance its amazing depth of flavor. A hearty ale designed to please Bacchus himself!
Recent ratings and reviews. | Log in to view more ratings + sorting options.
Ratings by jklecko2:
Photo of jklecko2
Rated by jklecko2 from California

4.25/5  rDev +5.7%

Aug 27, 2014
More User Ratings:
Photo of Orca
Reviewed by Orca from Washington

4.24/5  rDev +5.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
750mL (bottled 2/21/2014) into a tulip. Pours a slightly hazy mahogany amber with a thin khaki head, moderate carbonation.

Aroma is sweet and fruity: candi/brown sugar, caramel, figs and dates, a vague hint of spice. A nice nutty quality emerges with a gentle swirl of the glass.

Taste likewise leads off with sweet bready malt—stone fruits, brown sugar, toffee—followed by a gently floral hoppy bitterness. If you blended American and English barleywines I think you might get a close approximation to this.

Mouthfeel is on the heavy side of medium but not sticky or cloying. Moderate carbonation and hop bitterness help maintain good balance and drinkability.

Overall a very straightforward, approachable old ale. It would be hard to find something not to like about this one.
Jun 04, 2023
Photo of snaotheus
Reviewed by snaotheus from Washington

4.25/5  rDev +5.7%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
2023-05-18
4oz pour at the brewery, entering review from notes.

Pours ruby-brown in color, clear, about a centimeter of dense, light tan head. Smell is woody, toffee, bit of old hops.

Taste is rich, nutty, toffee, oaky, light booziness.

Mouthfeel is creamy, smooth, dry finish. Quite nice.
May 22, 2023
 
Rated: 4.16 by minterro from California

Mar 11, 2023
 
Rated: 3.65 by TMoney2591 from Illinois

Feb 08, 2022
Photo of jlindros
Reviewed by jlindros from Massachusetts

4.49/5  rDev +11.7%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5
2014 vintage I believe, lists mmxiv
Pours a tan bubbly slight foamy 1/2 finger head with med to lower retention, a bit of lacing, light legs, dark mahogany brown hazy color

Nose starts with oxidation but in a good way, waxy port like with a little paper, some dark fruits little dig date and plum, aged sweet malt, caramel toffee biscuity, brown sugar molasses dates, hint of butterscotch

Taste aged sweet malts, pretty sweet in general with big caramel, toffee, lots of molasses and brown sugar, but more waxy port like oxidation and no paper or cardboard, but of butterscotch, plenty more fruit as well fig date, medjoul dates, candied dates, little plum and black cherry, smooth potpourri alcohol, fair bite of spicy hop bitterness mostly late, drier finish, fig port wine

Mouth is fuller bod but soft, very smooth light warming alcohol, lower carb but OK for style and age

Overall this is a great beer and aged very well, I think I have more decadence in the cellar so that could be fun in a few more years
Dec 18, 2021
 
Rated: 4.02 by imnodoctorbut from Texas

Jul 31, 2020
Photo of arzt
Rated by arzt from Germany

5/5  rDev +24.4%
look: 5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5
Poured from MMXV 750ml bottle into oversized wine glass.
Just awesome. May be the best English Old Ale
Jan 30, 2020
 
Rated: 4.07 by taospowder from New Mexico

Feb 11, 2019
 
Rated: 3.78 by vidisad from California

Sep 10, 2018
Photo of Zorro
Reviewed by Zorro from California

4.14/5  rDev +3%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
Chill hazed brown ale with a medium sized tan colored head. Impressed it formed one at this alcohol level.

Smells sweet and strongly of dates. Lesser scents of brown sugar and berries. Distinct molasses note. Picking up on the scent of figs and cake batter.

Starts out sweet and savory with a strong taste of figs. Warms the chest as expected but there is no taste of alcohol. Taste of brown sugar and soy sauce. Tastes a bit salty with a medium level of bitterness. Smooths out after a while with a distinct taste of vanilla cake batter. Fortunately the taste of soy sauce is transient and goes away after it warms a bit. Tastes of leather and tobacco leaf as it warms. Alcohol buzz sneaks up on you very quickly.

Mouthfeel is thick.

Overall tasty and strong. You will not be chugging this one very fast at all.
Sep 02, 2018
Photo of garymuchow
Reviewed by garymuchow from Minnesota

3.98/5  rDev -1%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
2013 version I bought in CA a few years ago. Finally getting around to trying it out.
Subtle aroma with bits of dark fruit, figs. Soft dark malt, neutral.
Still a nice dense tan head over a dark body of brown.
Flavor is pretty good. Fruit without being sweet. Some richness. Soft dryness on the finish that lingers with a fading hop bitterness. Still rich fruit, but not over the top. Fig again is forward.
Good but not great.
Aug 27, 2018
Photo of GarrettB
Reviewed by GarrettB from Colorado

3.84/5  rDev -4.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75
May 15th, 2015 - Alesmith's Olde Ale is an odd child in San Diego's beer scene, dark and strong. With a malty nose and notes of chocolate, and a little bit of "fresh pool" and concrete it smells a little like a nice summer day. Throw in some spiciness and it begins to grow some tequila notes. The flavor is smooth and soft at first, then spiked and spicy. More licorice appears here, and then in the aftertaste, sweet black sesame paste. Good stuff, transformative, but definitely something to save for last.
Jun 04, 2018
Photo of kevanb
Reviewed by kevanb from Illinois

3.56/5  rDev -11.4%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.5
750ml bottle, 2013 vintage stamped on the front of the bottle, poured into an AleSmith barrel aged reserve snifter glass.

The beer pours a dark burgundy color, deep browns with some garnet hues, a thin bone head, very firm with great retention and soapy lace. Brown sugar and caramel lead the way on the nose, rich deep grains, stone fruits, a hint of acidity, toffee, nougat, a bit of nuttiness and light piney bitterness. The flavors are nice, a bit soft and muted, pleasant rich grain, brown sugar, caramel, light alcohol, toffee and nougat with some piney bitterness and a hint of tart cherry acidity. The mouthfeel is good, hefty medium body, a bit of life, coating and smooth at the finish that is lightly warm.

Verdict: A nice Old Ale from AleSmith, fairly well balanced, rich and inviting. It's a bit subtle and lacks a nice pop, a bit tepid, but still a nice sipping beer.
Sep 13, 2017
 
Rated: 4.03 by MickeyHops from California

Jul 14, 2017
Photo of ryan1788a5
Reviewed by ryan1788a5 from Massachusetts

4.15/5  rDev +3.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25
Thick, rich body with a chewy feel. Warming. Great depth of malt flavor. Bread crust, toffee, puddings. Lots of currant, prune, etc. Very fruity. Mildly vinous too. Balancing earthy hop bitterness. A really great stab at the style. Kinda wish I saved it for the dead of winter. Perfect accompaniment to beef burgundy or a variety of hearty stews.
Jul 08, 2017
Photo of Wasatch
Reviewed by Wasatch from Colorado

4.35/5  rDev +8.2%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
Bought On-Line

Review #3500

Thanks to all the BAs I've traded with since 2005, Cheers!

750ml
Black Foil/Capped
Bottled On: 03/04/14

A Little Over 3 years on this bottle.

Poured into a goblet a pretty nice brownish color, pretty nice carbonation, with a pretty nice quick creamy one-finger off-white head, which leaves a very nice medium size island and some sticky lacing behind. The nose is malty, some hops, with some nice dark fruits (cherries, figs, raisins, plums, grapes, dates), nice sweetness, oaky. The taste is really nice, malty, slight hop note, very nice dark fruits (cherries, figs, raisins, plums grapes, dates), really nice sweetness, oaky. Full Body, ABV hidden very well, a pretty nice complex brew, nice little bitter finish. Overall, a very tasty brew, true to style.
Jul 02, 2017
 
Rated: 4.71 by Foley67 from Scotland

Jul 01, 2017
 
Rated: 4.24 by ShawnL from Wisconsin

Jun 26, 2017
 
Rated: 4.25 by teamwiggum from Wisconsin

Jun 13, 2017
Olde Ale from AleSmith Brewing Company
Beer rating: 90 out of 100 with 212 ratings